How to Reset HPE iLO (Web, SSH, hponcfg & Default Password)

Short answer

How do you reset HPE iLO? To reset HPE iLO, log in to the web interface and go to Information, Diagnostics, Reset, or SSH to the iLO IP and run reset /map1. To reset a lost password without rebooting, run hponcfg with a short XML script from the host OS. For a full factory reset, use the iLO 5 Configuration Utility (F9).

An unresponsive iLO, a lost Administrator password, and a full lockout are three different problems with three different fixes — and only one of them requires touching the hardware. This guide covers all four HPE-documented reset paths for iLO 4 and iLO 5: web GUI, SSH, hponcfg from the host OS, and the system maintenance switch with UEFI factory defaults.

Reboot, password reset, or factory reset: pick the right procedure

"Reset iLO" gets used for three distinct operations. Match the symptom to the procedure before you start — a factory reset to fix a hung web interface erases license keys and logs for no reason.

Operation	What it does	What is erased	Host downtime	Method
iLO reboot (reset)	Restarts the management processor and ends all active sessions	Nothing — configuration is retained	None; the server OS keeps running	Web GUI, SSH `reset /map1`
Password reset	Overwrites the password of an existing iLO user account	Nothing else	None	`hponcfg` + XML from the host OS
Factory reset	Returns iLO to as-shipped state	All settings: user accounts, license keys, logs, network config	Reboot into UEFI (F9 method) or none (`hponcfg -r`)	iLO 5 Configuration Utility, `hponcfg -r`, Redfish

iLO runs on its own processor, independent of the host. Rebooting or reconfiguring iLO does not interrupt the operating system or workloads — the only method below that requires host downtime is the UEFI factory reset.

Method 1: Reset iLO from the web interface

Use this when iLO is slow, a Remote Console session is stuck, or you have changed network settings that require a restart. Per the HPE iLO 5 User Guide, the account needs the Configure iLO Settings privilege.

Log in to the iLO web interface at https://<ilo-address>.
Click Information in the navigation tree, then open the Diagnostics tab.
Click Reset and confirm the prompt.

iLO drops every active connection — Remote Console, Virtual Media, SSH — and restarts. No configuration changes are made. Note that iLO refuses the reset while a firmware flash is in progress; wait for it to finish. On Dell hardware the equivalent operation is racadm racreset, covered in our guide on how to reset iDRAC.

Method 2: Reset iLO over SSH (reset /map1)

When the web interface will not load at all but the iLO IP still answers on port 22, use the SMASH CLP command line. SSH is enabled by default on iLO.

Connect: ssh Administrator@<ilo-address> and authenticate.
Run cd /map1 and then reset — or issue the single command reset /map1.

The session disconnects immediately as the management processor restarts; give it a minute or two before reconnecting. This is the same reboot as the web-GUI method — configuration and credentials are untouched — and it is documented in the HPE iLO 5 Scripting and CLI Guide under Start and Reset commands.

Method 3: Reset the iLO password from the host OS with hponcfg

If the password is lost but you still have administrator or root access to the running operating system, hponcfg (HPE Lights-Out Online Configuration Utility) resets it in-band through the host-to-iLO channel — no reboot, no physical access. HPE documents this procedure in advisory c03487111. The utility ships in the Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) and as a standalone download for Windows and Linux.

Create a file named reset_pw.xml:

<RIBCL VERSION="2.0">
  <LOGIN USER_LOGIN="Administrator" PASSWORD="unused">
    <USER_INFO MODE="write">
      <MOD_USER USER_LOGIN="Administrator">
        <PASSWORD value="YourNewPassw0rd"/>
      </MOD_USER>
    </USER_INFO>
  </LOGIN>
</RIBCL>

Because the script runs in-band with host-OS administrator rights, the credentials in the LOGIN tag are not validated — they only have to be non-empty. The new password must meet iLO's configured minimum length (8 characters by default on iLO 5). Then apply it:

Linux: sudo hponcfg -f reset_pw.xml
Windows (elevated prompt): hponcfg /f reset_pw.xml /l log.txt

The change takes effect immediately. Verify by logging in at https://<ilo-address>, then delete the XML file — it contains the new password in plain text.

Method 4: Full lockout — security override switch and UEFI factory reset

No iLO password and no OS access leaves the two physical-presence paths. Both require a maintenance window.

System maintenance switch (iLO security override). Position 1 of the system maintenance switch on the system board disables iLO security. Power the server down, disconnect power, remove the access panel, and set switch position 1 to On. Per HPE's security documentation, with iLO in the default Production security state this grants login access with all privileges, without a user ID and password — log in, set a new Administrator password, then power down and return the switch to Off. Important caveat: if iLO 5 was placed in the High Security, FIPS, or CNSA security state, the switch does not bypass the password requirement, and your remaining option is a factory reset.

UEFI System Utilities factory reset. Reboot the server and press F9 during POST, then go to System Configuration > iLO 5 Configuration Utility > Set to factory defaults and confirm. All iLO settings are erased — user accounts, license data, configuration, and logs — and SMBIOS records are cleared until the next host reboot completes. After the reset, iLO answers with the factory default credentials described below. If you have host-OS access, hponcfg -r performs the same factory reset in-band, and HPE recommends the Redfish API for scripted factory resets at fleet scale.

iLO default password: where to find it after a factory reset

Every ProLiant ships with a unique factory login. Per the HPE iLO 5 User Guide, the default user name is Administrator and the default password is a random eight-character string, printed together with the default DNS name (ILO followed by the server serial number) on the serial label pull tab attached to the server — on a rack unit such as the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10, that is the plastic tab that slides out of the front panel. Depending on model, the same information may appear on a chassis sticker or toe tag.

HPE support does not keep a database of these passwords: if the tag is gone, recovery means hponcfg (Method 3) or the physical procedures (Method 4) — there is no backdoor. Dell handles 14th-generation and later PowerEdge the same way, with a unique password on the pull-out service tag; see our iDRAC default password guide for the details. When buying refurbished, confirm the seller factory-resets the BMC before shipment — the units in our servers catalog ship reset, so the label credentials or a documented password apply on first boot.

Frequently asked questions

What is the default iLO username and password?

The default username is Administrator and the password is a random eight-character string set at the factory. Both are printed on the serial label pull tab attached to the server (a sticker or toe tag on some models). HPE does not keep a database of these passwords, so if the label is lost you must reset the password with hponcfg or the physical-access methods.

Does resetting iLO reboot the server?

No. iLO runs on its own management processor, so a reboot via the web GUI (Information > Diagnostics > Reset) or SSH (reset /map1) only restarts iLO and drops its active sessions. The host OS and workloads keep running. The only method that requires host downtime is the factory reset through UEFI System Utilities, which needs a reboot into F9.

How do I reset the iLO password if I can't log in but the OS is running?

Use hponcfg from the host with administrator or root rights. Write a short RIBCL XML file containing a MOD_USER block with the new password and run hponcfg -f file.xml (Linux) or hponcfg /f file.xml (Windows). Because it runs in-band, the login credentials inside the XML are not validated. The change is immediate and requires no reboot.

The iLO security override switch didn't bypass the login — why?

On Gen10 and later, the system maintenance switch only grants credential-free access when iLO is in the default Production security state. If the previous administrator enabled High Security, FIPS, or CNSA mode, the switch does not disable the password requirement. Your remaining option is a factory reset via F9 > iLO 5 Configuration Utility > Set to factory defaults.

Does an iLO factory reset erase the iLO Advanced license?

Yes. A factory reset erases all iLO settings including license data, user accounts, network configuration, and logs. Record your iLO Advanced license key before resetting so you can re-apply it afterward; the entitlement itself is not lost, only the installed key.

How long does iLO take to come back after a reset?

A standard iLO reboot typically completes within one to two minutes; the host keeps running throughout. All active connections (web, SSH, Remote Console, Virtual Media) are dropped and must be re-established. Note that iLO will refuse to reset while a firmware flash is in progress.

How to reset HPE iLO (web, SSH, hponcfg & default password)